AJ clinches countdown spot with SEMIS showing at Brainerd
Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T NHRA POWERade Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson clinched a berth in the NHRA Countdown to One title playoff with a semifinals appearance in the NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway on Sunday, August 10.
Johnson qualified No. 4 for the event. He defeated fellow Mopar HEMI-powered Pro Stock driver Rickie Jones and Jason Line before losing to Dave Connolly in the semifinals. The strong Brainerd performance helped Johnson maintain his fifth-place spot in the standings and ensured that the Greeneville, Tenn., native will be among the ten drivers to battle for the Pro Stock title in the six-race NHRA Countdown to One, scheduled to begin in September.
Mopar HEMI-fueled Pro Stocker V. Gaines remains a good bet to join Johnson in the ten-man Countdown field. The Kendall Oil Dodge Stratus R/T driver advanced to the quarterfinals at Brainerd and is currently seventh in the points standings, well within the tenth-place Countdown cutoff.
Next up is the 24th annual NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa., August 15-17. For more info on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, visit nhra.com.